Secretary with work surface wings

ABSTRACT

A secretary with work surface wings has a base, a desktop connected with the base, a wing support connected with the base, and a wing hingedly connected with the wing support. The base may be a floor standing base. The desktop may have first and second desktop ends and provide a user with a work surface. The wing may have a wing mating edge that is adapted to mate with the first desktop end. The wing hinges between stored and extended positions with the wing mating edge mating with the first desktop end in the extended position and adding to the work surface. A releasable coupling may further be used between the wing and the desktop. Also, a pivot may be interposed between the wing support and the base, with the wing support pivoting between open and closed positions relative to the base.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This is a non-provisional application based on and claiming thefiling priority of co-pending provisional patent application Ser. No.60/195,845, Apr. 11, 2000.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The invention relates to an item of furniture that conceals adesk. More particularly, the item of furniture presents an appearance ofa traditional furniture cabinet in which the front of the furniture isclosed by doors and the contents of the cabinet are conceal.

[0003] The presence of an office in the home is an increasing trend. Ahome office may be used for household finances or for doing businesswork at home. A popular use in a home office is the operation of acomputer in the home. Home offices typically include a desk, filestorage, and drawer storage.

[0004] With a premium on space in most homes and apartments, it is notalways possible to dedicate a room solely to a home office, and evenwhen a room can be dedicate solely to a home office, it is commonlydesired to give the home office a more homey appearance thanconventional office furniture typically provides. For these reasons, itis desirable to incorporate a desk, storage compartments, and computerhardware into a furniture unit that can be closed to conceal the factthat the unit is actually a desk, and to conceal storage and computerhardware, for example. A desk and accompanying storage compartments thatare encloseable by doors to create the impression of a conventional homestorage cabinet, buffet, or armoire, for example, and that are openableto provide a fully functioning desk are clearly desirable for the homeoffice.

[0005] Further, computer hardware does not lend itself to blending inwith any interior decor, not even traditional executive offices. Thus,the ability to conveniently access and conceal computer equipment in afurniture cabinet that presents an appearance of traditional storagefurniture is very desirable.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Accordingly, a secretary with work surface wings of the inventionhas a base, a desktop connected with the base, a wing support connectedwith the base, and a wing hingedly connected with the wing support. Thebase may be a floor standing base. The desktop may have first and seconddesktop ends and provide a user with a work surface. The wing may have awing mating edge that is adapted to mate with the first desktop end. Thewing hinges between stored and extended positions with the wing matingedge mating with the first desktop end in the extended position andadding to the work surface. A releasable coupling may further be usedbetween the wing and the desktop. Also, a pivot may be interposedbetween the wing support and the base, with the wing support pivotingbetween open and closed positions relative to the base.

[0007] These and other features, objects, and benefits of the inventionwill be recognized by one having ordinary skill in the art and by thosewho practice the invention, from the specification, the claims, and thedrawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0008]FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a secretary according to theinvention;

[0009]FIG. 2 is another front perspective view thereof, showing thedoors open and a work surface deployed;

[0010]FIG. 3 is a front elevational view thereof;

[0011]FIG. 4 is another front elevational view thereof, showing thedoors open and the work surface deployed;

[0012]FIG. 5 is a side elevational view thereof;

[0013]FIG. 6 is the view of FIG. 2, showing a storage drawer extended;

[0014]FIG. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged detail, showing the interrelationof a main work surface and an extension wing in perspective view;

[0015]FIG. 8 is another fragmentary enlarged detail, showing theinterrelation of a main work surface and an extension wing inperspective view;

[0016]FIG. 9 is a fragmentary edge elevational view thereof in partialcross section, taken along line IX-IX of FIG. 7;

[0017]FIG. 10 is a fragmentary elevational view of a door interior face,showing an extension wing in a lowered position; and

[0018]FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view thereof, along line XI-XI ofFIG. 10; and

[0019]FIG. 12 is a front perspective view of a first alternativeembodiment of a secretary according to the invention; and

[0020]FIG. 13 is another front perspective view thereof, showing the

[0021]FIG. 14 is a fragmentary top plan sectional view of a secondalternative embodiment of a secretary according to the invention; and

[0022]FIG. 15 is the view of FIG. 14 with the work surface deployed; and

[0023]FIG. 16 is a front perspective view of a third alternativeembodiment of a secretary according to the invention;

[0024]FIG. 17 is another front perspective view thereof, showing thedoors open and the work surface deployed;

[0025]FIG. 18 is a front elevational view thereof;

[0026]FIG. 19 is another front elevational view thereof, showing thedoors open and the work surface deployed;

[0027]FIG. 20 is a side elevational view thereof, and

[0028]FIG. 21 is the view of FIG. 17, showing a storage drawer extended.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] A secretary with work surface wings according to the invention asgenerally shown in the drawings figures and identified with referencenumber 50. The secretary 50 has a floor standing base 52, a desktop 54,a wing 56, and a wing support 58. While a preferred embodiment 50 isshown in the several views of the drawing to resemble an armoire storagecabinet when closed, one having ordinary skill in the art will know thatthe present invention may be employed in various alternative cabinetconfigurations.

[0030] The floor standing base 52 shown regarding secretary 50 includesside panels 62 and 64 that extend generally vertically upward from afloor and are spaced apart. The desktop 54 is connected with the base52. More specifically, the desktop 54 is supported by the side panels 62and 64. Further, the desktop 54 has first and second desktop ends 66 and68, respectively, and is attached to the side panels 62 and 64 withslide track hardware as is commonly known. Thus, the desktop 54 slidesbetween retracted and extended (FIGS. 2, 4, and 6) positions relative tothe base 52.

[0031] A door 72 and 74 is hingedly connected with each of the two sidepanels 62 and 64. Further, the doors 72 and 74 move between open (FIGS.2, 4, and 6) and closed (FIGS. 1, 3, and 5) positions. In the closedposition the doors 72 and 74 close the secretary 50 and conceal itscontents. With the doors 72 and 74 in the open position, the interior ofthe secretary 50 is revealed and a user may slide the desktop 54 to itsextended position.

[0032] A wing 56 or 76 may be hingedly connected with either or each ofthe doors 72 and 74. So connected, the wing 56 or 76 may hinge betweenstored (FIGS. 10 and 11) and extended (FIGS. 2, 4, and 6) positions. Amounting block 78 (FIG. 4) may be used between wing 56 or 76 and door 72or 74, respectively. Screw fasteners 82 (FIG. 4, 10, and 11) preferablyextend through elongated apertures 84 in the mounting block 78. Use ofelongated apertures 84 facilitates alignment or elevational adjustmentof the wing 56 or 76 relative to the desktop 54. More specifically, thefastener 82 may include a machine screw or the like that is mated with athreaded insert that is seated within the door 72 or 74, for example.

[0033] The wing 56 or 76 is provided with a mating edge 92 that isadapted to mate with an adjacent end 66 or 68 of the desktop 54. Thedesktop end 66 or 68 corresponds to the wing mating edge 92. The wing 56or 76 and desktop 54 are further releasably coupled in their respectiveextended positions. While numerous releasable coupling arrangements maybe utilized, as understood by one having ordinary skill in the art, alap or rabbet joint engagement (FIGS. 7-9) between the wing 56 or 76 andthe desktop 54 in combination with a post 94 and aperture 96 couplinghas been found to provide convenient and secure interconnection of thewing 56 or 76 with the desktop 54 in their respective extendedpositions. A wear plate 98 may also preferably be provided around theaperture 96.

[0034] While the drawing figures generally show the post 94 extendingfrom the desktop side of the engagement between the wing 56 or 76 andthe desktop 54, with the aperture 96 extending into the wing, one havingordinary skill in the art will appreciate that a particular user ormaker of the invention may have a preference to reverse thisrelationship. Further, in the reversed relationship with the post 94extending from the wing 56 or 76, one will notice that the post mayserve double duty and also provide a bumper between the wing and thedoor instead of the bumper 102.

[0035] Further to the variations mentioned above, a secretary with worksurface wings according to the invention may be incorporated in acabinet 200 without an upper storage hutch (FIGS. 12 and 13). Thecabinet 200 includes common elements with the secretary 50, namely, abase 252 with side panels 262 and 264. A desktop 254 is supported abovea floor by the base 252. The desktop 254 is slidably connected with theside panels 262 and 264. At least one wing 256 is hingedly connectedwith a door or wing support 272. More preferably, another wing 276 ishingedly connected with another door or wing support 274.

[0036] In another exemplary embodiment 300 (FIGS. 14-15), the inventionmay also be implemented with a pull-out wing support 372 in the mannerof self storing or pocket doors, commonly known in use withentertainment centers and the like. The desktop 354 has an end 366 thatis adapted to mate with the wing 356, which is hingedly connected withthe wing support 372 by a mounting block 378.

[0037] Another alternative embodiment of the present invention is shownin FIGS. 16-21. This embodiment is the same as the embodiment of FIGS.1-6 except for the decorative exterior design of the secretary cabinet.The same numerals are used in FIGS. 16-21 as are used in the embodimentof FIGS. 1-6, with the exception that the numerals are primed.Otherwise, the construction and function of the components is the sameas described above for FIGS. 1-6.

[0038] It will be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art andby those who practice the invention, that various modifications andimprovements may be made without departing from the spirit of thedisclosed concept. Various relational terms, including left, right,front, back, top, and bottom, for example, are used in the detaileddescription of the invention and in the claims only to convey relativepositioning of various elements of the claimed invention. The scope ofprotection afforded is to be determined by the claims and by the breadthof interpretation allowed by law.

I claim:
 1. A secretary comprising: a floor standing base; a desktopconnected with the base, the desktop having opposing first and seconddesktop ends, the desktop providing a user with a work surface; a wingsupport connected with the base; a wing hingedly connected with the wingsupport, the wing having a wing mating edge that is adapted to mate withthe first desktop end, the wing hinging between stored and extendedpositions, the wing mating edge mating with the first desktop end in theextended position and adding to the work surface.
 2. The secretary ofclaim 1 further including a releasable coupling between the wing and thedesktop.
 3. The secretary of claim 1 wherein the wing mating edgereleasably couples with the first desktop end.
 4. The secretary of claim1 further including a pivot between the wing support and the base, thewing pivoting relative to the base between open and closed positions. 5.The secretary of claim 1 wherein the wing support is movable betweenopen and closed positions.
 6. The secretary of claim 5 wherein the winghinges between the stored and extended positions when the wing supportis in the open position.
 7. A secretary comprising: a base; a desktopconnected with the base, the desktop having opposing first and seconddesktop ends; a wing connected with the base, the wing having a matingedge that is adapted to mate with the first desktop end; a pivotconnected between the wing and the base; a wing support connectedbetween the pivot and the base.
 8. The secretary of claim 7 furtherincluding a releasable coupling between the wing and the desktop.
 9. Thesecretary of claim 7 wherein the wing mating edge releasably coupleswith the first desktop end.
 10. The secretary of claim 7 furtherincluding a pivot between the wing support and the base, the wingpivoting relative to the base between open and closed positions.
 11. Thesecretary of claim 7 wherein the wing support is movable between openand closed positions.
 12. The secretary of claim 11 wherein the winghinges between the stored and extended positions when the wing supportis in the open position.
 13. A secretary comprising: a base; a desktopconnected with the base, the desktop having opposing first and seconddesktop ends; a pivot connected with the base; a wing connected with thepivot, the wing having a mating edge that is adapted to mate with thefirst desktop end; a wing support connected with the base.
 14. Thesecretary of claim 13 further including a releasable coupling betweenthe wing and the desktop.
 15. The secretary of claim 13 wherein the wingmating edge releasably couples with the first desktop end.
 16. Thesecretary of claim 13 further including a pivot between the wing supportand the base, the wing pivoting relative to the base between open andclosed positions.
 17. The secretary of claim 13 wherein the wing supportis movable between open and closed positions.
 18. The secretary of claim17 wherein the wing hinges between the stored and extended positionswhen the wing support is in the open position.